Halpin family of Wicklow - Part 1

[Shanachai]

     7. Halpin and Wicklow.
6750 - 6756 (a summary of what remains of Mr. Byrne's testimony).
     Another great defect is, that stock of every kind is jumbled up together...[Personally] I would have every description of stock classified - for instance, milch cows in one place, young stock in another, bullocks in another, and bulls by themselves, for they cause great inconvenience; stallions I would not allow in the fair, nor would I have them shown unless in some very retired place...Then I would either make the Stipendiary Magistrate attend, or let the police constable attend, and give him a summary power of settling disputes.  There is another matter which causes the farmers to suffer very much with regard to the pig trade: a jobber comes in and buys a pig, and if the market falls towards evening he will give the pig a prod, and make it bleed, and then say he is measly, and he will not take it...At the fair of Roundwood [the lack of proper authority] is particularly objectionable.  It has become a great fair for horses, and I was going to write to the Government several times to assist me in making some arrangements by which the public would be protected from being ridden over in the streets...A Mr. Trouten is the patentee, and he lets the fair to a man named Fagan...Some of the dealers endeavour to force their way out [of the fair] without paying, and some succeed - there is terrible work there.  The horse fair is held in the town...Drinking takes place...and people gallop their horses through the crowds...accidents have occurred and unless some remedy be taken some very serious affairs will happen...[Mr. Byrne goes on to endorse the Commission's proposals for enclosed fairgrounds, a small or affordable charge for participants and for the keeping of records and statistics, which "would enable the authorities to judge of the prosperity of the county."  Mr. Byrne does not think farmers will object to a charge "because they would have to pay much less than they generally have in customs at the present day.  At Ashford they pay 3d. a head for cattle...Some people thinking to escape the customs [charges] expose their goods, nominally, in the public way, and then there are disputes between them and the men at the custom gaps, as to whether they will charge.  At Rathdrum there is a fine roomy fair-green...but in Arklow it is a very miserable place - in fact it is all in the town.  I do not think anything in the country requires reformation more than the arrangements for fairs."]

And that's the end of the Commission's questioning of mid-19th Century Wicklow residents on the state of fairs and markets in the locale.

[kenneth cooke]

To BillW re Halpen of Dublin
I am descended from Mark Halpen and Mary Paget from Maryborough. Their daughter Elizbth mar. Eugene Sweny of Dublin 27.6.1777. Eugene's cousin Elizbth Toone must be the widow of Ald. Kilner Swettenham who mar. John Halpen.
Paget Halpen, engraver must be the son of Mark & Mary. Eliz Toone's brother was Sweeney Toone of the East India Co. I don't know much about the Halpens, but the names Halpen & Paget are found in 5 or 6 generations of Swenys & even the Cookes have a few.
Ken Cooke, Vic. Australia

[Shanachai]

Found These in the National Archives:-

Richard James Agustus Halpin - 5 Aug. - Late of Leitrim Lodge Wicklow...Engineer, d. 29th June 1915 at Sierra Leone West africa...granted at Dublin to Frances M. Halpin, Spinster...Effects £319 10s 10d.

Sarah Halpin - 20th May - late of Leitrim Lodge Bachelor's Walk Wicklow Spinster d. 13 April 1915, granted at dublin to F. M. Halpin and Louise G. Halpin, Spinsters, Effects £490 17s 6d, Resworn £375.

James Henry Halpin M.D. - 9th Sept. - late of Wentworth Place, Wicklow, d. Mat 5 1916. Granted at Dublin to Adelaide M Halpin, the Widow, Effects £970, Resworn £1025.

William Halpin, Mariner - 6 April - late of Abbeyville, Wicklow, d. 17 Feb. 1916, Granted at Dublin to Edward O'Connor, Overseer, £89 11s 11d.

Robert Halpin - 5th Oct - Late of Beechwood Road., Ranelagh, Dublin, Gentleman, d. July 1933...Granted at Dublin to Roy Collie, Watchmaker, and William James, Barrister, £1319.

Nannie C. Halpin - 2nd May - Formerly of Seaview House, Wicklow and Late of 148 Rathgar Road, Dublin.  Spinster, d. 19 Dec. 1933. Granted at Dublin to William L. B. Halpin, Mining Engineer, and Violet Casey, Widow, £443.

Robert George Halpin - 12th Sept., - Late of 1 Wentworth Place, Wicklow, Captain Mercantile Marine, d. 1 June 1906 at Falmouth in England. Granted at Dublin to James H. Halpin, M.D., effects £2105 9s 8d.

Jessie Kelly Halpin - 20 March - Late of Tinnakilly House, Co. Wicklow, Widow, d. 10 Dec. 1912. Granted at Dublin to Belle L. Halpin, Spinster, effects £8804 11s 0d.  Resworn £9614 15s 4d.

Frances Margaret Halpin - 18th Nov., - late of 1 Church St., Wicklow, Spinster, d. Aug. 9 1926. Granted at Dublin to Louisa Grace Halpin, Spinster, effects £225.

Beddia/Bedelia Halpin - 10th Feb., - Late of Gowran Hall, Sandycove, County Dublin. Married woman d. 23 Oct., 1929. Granted at Dublin to Joseph Halpin, Merchant, and Joseph A. Halpin, Company Manager, effects 35296 11s 4d.

Edith Mary Ann Halpin - 14th Jan., - Late of 3 Cliff Tce., Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Spinster, d. 27 Aug., 1935 Granted at Dublin to Ada L F Halpin, Spinster £275 2s 5d.

Isaac Halpin - 22nd Sept., - Late of 38 Whitehall Rd., Kimmage, Dublin, d. 3rd Sept., 1935, Granted to Richard A Halpin, Engineer £1061.

William H. Halpin - 9th Aug., - Late of Ford Lodge Cavan, Co. Cavan, Solicitor d. 17 April 1937. Granted to Caroline I E Halpin, Widow, and John R. Halpin, Solicitor, £5856.

Ada Louisa Farran Halpin - 3rd April - Late of 3 Cliff Tce., Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Spinster, d. 10 Jan 1939. Granted to Henry R Maunsell, solicitor, £2318 6s 6d.

[kenneth cooke]

More on Halpen of Maryboro Co Laois
Eugene Sweny, a druggist or chemist, of 40 Mary Street, Dublin married Elizabeth, daughter of Mark Halpen and Mary Paget, of Maryborough, Co. Laois, in 1777. The names Paget and Halpen/Halpin appear in at least four generations.
I have found several references to Halpens, which I believe are relevant. There was a Mark Halpen, who I believe was our ancestor, an Irishman and obviously a man of means, convicted at the Old Bailey in London in 1734 for assault and breaking the peace. The incident followed a dispute in a public office, after money due to him had been legally detained by order. Peter Hawkins, one of the Clerks of the Exchequer, who had been assaulted and wounded by Halpen, gave evidence:
Peter Hawkins:
He (Halpen) said, I am going to Tunbridge, and must have some Money.
I answer'd, I believe you'll be mistaken – You have impos'd upon the Court, and the Baron has been inform'd of it.  God damn you, says he, You lie!    What do you mean by that ? says I.
I tell you, says he again, God damn you, you lie!   I told him it was like his Irish Manners.
If I was to be born again, says he, I would chuse to be born in Ireland, for I never was asham'd of my Country,
and damn you, you dare not go out of the Office.  I reply'd that I did not fear him or any Gentleman.
He struck me on the Breast, and afterwards taking hold of the small End of his Whip, he struck me a violent
Blow over the Eye, with the Butt End.
 Halpen was ordered to pay a fine of £5, and claimed that it had cost him £200 in legal fees.
There was a Paget Halpen, who seems to be Mark’s son. From about 1790 to 1810, he was a copper engraver of 44 Mecklenburg St. Dublin, one of several engravers named Halpen or Halpin. He married Margaret Delane in Dublin in 1794.  Another Paget Halpen, born in 1795, appears in the U.S. later. He was a ‘shugar planter’ of New Orleans in 1824, when he was about 29. He was one of seven signatories to a public notice in the Baton Rouge Gazette, Louisiana of 17.3.1827.  It read: “Charles Ash Mix is declared a liar, swindler and a villain; beware of him.”  Then, in Sept.1839 his name is found on the tax list in the Texas Morning Star as owing $13.75 to the City of Houston. Later there are several entries in the Texas Land Titles Abstracts, the last one being for “the heirs of Paget Halpin” in 1906.
Ken Cooke
 

[BillW]

Raymond and list

Replying to the list of people that you have found in the National Archives and listed yesterday, I think I can relate a few.  

Richard James Augustus Halpin, engineer late of Leitrim Lodge Wicklow and Louisa Grace Halpin (Beneficiary of Frances Margaret Halpin) are twin children of Richard Mathews Halpin and of Sarah Gregg, born 05 April 1867 at Wicklow (IGI Batch C011878).

Sarah Halpin, late of Leitrim Lodge Bachekor's Walk Wicklow, spinster, granted her estate to the above Louis(e) G Halpin and F M Halpin and I think because of the names, address and spinsterhood that she can be regarded as their sister (and of Richard James Augustus).

Frances Margaret Halpin, spinster, similarly granted her estate to Louisa Grace Halpin and may be regarded as their sister.  Her death is 11 years later than Richard and Sarah, and she now resides in 1926 at 1 Church Street, Wicklow.  As I understand it Bachelors Walk and Church Street are back to back off Bridge Street.

That seems to be one family group.  "Richard Matthews Halpin" died in the first quarter of 1890 in the Rathdrum registration district of Wicklow, age given as 64 indicating birth about 1826.  But who was Richard Mathews Halpin?

Robert George Halpin, Captain Mercantile Marine late of 1 Wentworth Place Wicklow granted his large estate in 1906 to Dr James H(enry) Halpin.  Dr James Henry Halpin of Wentworh Place (Number 1 ?) granted his estate to his widow Adelaide M Halpin.  James Henry Halpin who died in 1916 was born about 1861 from information given at his death (FamilySearch Pilot Site).

Jessie Kelly Halpin, widow late of Tinnakilly House died 1912.  Is she the widow of Captain Robert Halpin of the Great Eastern?

Nannie C(aldour) Halpin, spinster formerly of Seaview House Wicklow was a daughter of Dr Stopford William Halpin of Arklow and of Susanna Frances Bestall, born Wicklow 1868 (IGI Batch C014084).  Would Seaview House have been in Seaview Road?  In 1933 she dies residing at 148 Rathgar Road Dublin.  A significant number of Halpins lived closely around this location over a century.  She granted her estate to William L B(estall?) Halpin, mining engineer (can we speculate that he was a nephew or unknown brother), and to Violet Casey, widow.  Another of Dr Stopford's children and Nannie's sister was Violet Louise Halpin, born Wicklow 1874 (IGI).

William H(enry) Halpin, solicitor late of Ford Lodge Cavan, died 1937 leaving his estate to his widow Caroline I E Halpin and to John R Halpin, Solicitor.  Was John his son? Caroline Isabella Emma Hutton married William Henry Halpin in the Bawnboy registration district of Cavan or Leitrim in the 3rd quarter of 1898 (FamilySearch Pilot Site).   William Henry Halpin's death registration in 1937 gives or estimates his birth year as 1863.  Who does William Henry connect back to (in Wicklow?)?

Lastly, Edith Mary Ann Halpin and Ada Louise Farran Halpin are both spinsters dying in the 1930s at 3 Cliff Terrace Dun Laoghaire.  An Ada Louisa Halpin was born at Govan Lanark Scotland 1874 to Robert Halpin and Jane Wilson (IGI).  I am looking for a Robert Halpin, who was born about 1850, probably baptised Villiers.  He is said to have married in England (Scotland?) to a woman only known as Mettie, a name I am not familiar with, and to have had children George Alfred Halpin and Maud Halpin.

I hope any of this helps.  Bill.

[BillW]

Somewhat random jottings following my earlier post derived from Raymond's discoveries at the National Archives.

Nannie Caldour Halpin of Seaview House Wicklow, daughter of Dr Stopford William Halpin and Susanna Frances Bestall, died in 1933 at 1 Rathgar Road Dublin.  Part of her estate was left to William L B Halpin, mining engineer.

William Law Bestall Halpin born 1871 in the Rathdrum registration district (LDS FamilySearch Pilot Site).  The name Bestall definitely ties him, and Nannie, to this family line.

There are many Bestall bdm events registered to Wicklow or Rathdrum.  In particular, there are

William Law Bestall, b.c. 1800, d. 1867
William Law Bestall, b.c. 1831, d. 1904
William Law Bestall, m. 1873 Dublin South
William Law Bestall, b. 1877 Gorey
William Law Allen Bestall b. 1880
William Law Henry Bestall, b. 1906

Stopford's wife Susanna could well be a daughter of William Law Bestall born 1831 as she married in 1857.

Captain Robert George Halpin is found in English records dying at Falmouth in 1906, where his age is given as 35 and therefore birth at or before 1871.

More follows on Captain Robert charles Halpin.

Bill

[BillW]

Captain Robert Charles Halpin of Wicklow.

The following is acknowledged to a website on the family that produced his wife, Jessie Munn: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/a/n/Richard-J-Cannings/GENE7-0013.html.

It requires 2 pages.

[Jessie Munn] married CAPTAIN ROBERT CHARLES HALPIN October 14, 1873 in Southport, Lancs., England, son of JAMES HALPIN and MARY. He was born February 16, 1836 in Bridge Tavern, Wicklow Town, Ireland, and died 1894 in Tinakilly, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Notes for CAPTAIN ROBERT CHARLES HALPIN:
Robert Halpin was captain of the "Great Eastern". The following is extracted from biographical notes on William Thomson, Lord Kelvin:
"Thomson was actually aboard the Great Eastern, the ship which laid the cable. The first officer and key navigator was another Irishman, Robert Halpin from Wicklow Town. Halpin was soon appointed captain of the ship, and went on to earn further distinction for cable laying, earning the nickname "Mr Cable"."

From: http://www.irsa.ie/Resources/Heritage/WThom.html
"Captain Halpin befriended himself with the Dickens family. Even Charles Dickens' nephew was Bestman at Halpin's wedding to Ms. J. Munn."
From: http://www.tinakilly.ie/Pages/inc4.html

The following is from: http://www.tinakilly.ie/Pages/history.html:
The name Halpin is still honoured in Wicklow Town but outside its environs too little is known about his services to telegraphy. Robert Halpin was born in the Bridge Tavern, Wicklow, on February 16th 1836, the youngest of 13 children to James & Mary Halpin. His father, James, was the proprietor of the small tavern (built 1702) and the family were reasonably wealthy. From an early age Robert showed a great fondness for the sea and everything connected with it. He received his early education at a private school on nearby Leitrim Place, possibly that of Ellen White, the Murrough, recorded in Slaters Directory of 1846. Halpin seems to have shown little interest in formal education and, with his imagination fuelled by exciting tales of faraway lands as recounted by mariners in his fathers tavern, he left home at the very early age of 10 for a life at sea. When he joined the brig "Briton" it was engaged in the Cumberland coal trade, it was shipwrecked off Bude in Cornwall in 1851 and many hands were lost but young Halpin managed to scramble ashore.

Undeterred by this early disaster, he was beginning to earn a reputation as a seaman and he joined the crew of the 388 ton barque "Henry Tanner", later the same year the "Henry Tanner" was on the Britain - Australia run and on Halpin's maiden voyage to Australia a strange happening occurred. The docking coincided with the Australian Gold Rush of 1852 and more than half the crew, jumped ship to seek their fortunes in the gold fields. Unable to muster a crew the "Henry Tanner" was forced to remain in port until the enthusiasm of the prospectors wore thin and they returned to their posts.

Halpin then joined the ship "Boomerang" as a third mate. The "Boomerang" also worked on the Liverpool to Melbourne to Kio (Ecuador) run and back to Britain. The returning cargo for the "Boomerang" was "guano", bird -droppings which made wonderful fertiliser and huge profit. This guano was loaded in Kio by free Chinese labour, many of whom lost their sight due to the effects of the lime content of the cargo. They had hoped to earn passage to the U.S.A. but very few achieved their aim.

Promotion followed for Halpin when he transferred to "The Salem" as second mate. He worked on the wool clipper on the Australian run until he made a bold move in 1858 when he transferred from sail to steam. Halpin farsightedly believed that steam was the power of the future and he became first officer in the "Khersonese". When still only 22 years of age he was given command of the "S.S. Propellor" and later joined the "Circassian" both steamships of the Atlantic Royal Company.

In 1858 Robert became involved in a new venture. A new sea route had opened up from Galway to St. Johns Newfoundland which was the quicker and shorter Atlantic crossing. Emigration from Europe to North America was the new "cargo" and was operating on a massive scale from the major emigration ports of Liverpool, Hamburg and Galway. By 1859 the new Galway line was prospering and the darling of the fleet, the "S.S. Argo" was under the command of Robert Halpin aged 24 years. However, disaster struck in August 1859 when in thick fog on the Newfoundland fishing banks, the Argo struck an iceberg and sank. The pride of the fleet was lost and resulting from the subsequent enquiry Halpin lost his masters ticket. Despite the setback, it in no way dampened his enthusiasm for life on the ocean wave and in 1860, the Spanish Government commissioned him to deliver two troop ships, the "Isla de Cuba" and the "Isla de Puerto Rica", to South America.

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[Shanachai]

Richard Mathews Halpin was Capt. Robert Charles Halpin's brother - in about 1871 the US government wanted to put the Capt. on trial for blockade running during the American Civil War (he brought supplies to besieged Confederates, and ran Cotton home to Britain),  Richard managed to prevent RC from being extradited to the US...at around that time the US was putting tremendous diplomatic pressure on the British to release a US citizen from a British gaol - Gen. William G. Halpin, US Civil War veteran and Fenian insurgent who had conspired to start an Uprising in Dub., Ireland in 1867.  The two Halpins were cousins and I believe Capt. RC Halpin was being pursued by the US only as leverage in its efforts to have the General released...remember, Gen. WG Halpin and Charles Grehan Halpin(e) were intent on winning considerable political concessions from the Poms on Ireland's behalf by using the General's trial to put the British government in the dock for its treatment of Ireland and the Irish ("...a free man has a right to declare war on those trying to enslave him..." - that's the sort of thing they intended saying) - now I'll come back to this another time.  I raise it here only to put the Captain's troubles into context..the US was virtually saying to the Poms You have our man, we want your's - his cousin - for virtually the same activities...ie., for attempting to aid others to attack the Gov. of the Land, only in the Captain's case he was attacking a democratically elected Gov., whereas the General was attacking a Gov. that had NOT received a mandate to govern from the people of Ireland, but ruled by strength of force...You get the drift.  It's all linked.

[BillW]

Cont\
Captain Robert Charles Halpin

When the American Civil War broke out Halpin saw an opportunity of exercising his adventurous spirit in another way. He ran the Yankee blockades bringing supplies to the Confederates and returning with cotton to Europe. In 1864 he was forced to run his ship aground to evade capture but was detained by Northern Officials. However, as the case against him was unproven he was released.

It was then Robert Halpin began his association with the famous steam ship "The Great Eastern". In his book "The Great Iron Ship", author James Dugan says the first and in some ways the most interesing of the ocean liners was "The Great Eastern", brainchild of the legendary Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was certainly the new wonder of the world when it was launched at the Isle of Dogs, Kent on January 31st 1858. She was 693 feet in length (over 200 metres) 22,500 tons dead weight and with passenger accommodation for more than 3000 passengers and five times larger than any ship yet built. She had six masts named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc..., five funnels, 6500 yards of sail, two 58 ft paddle wheels, a 24 ft screw (the biggest ever built before or since) and a coal carrying capacity of 1 5000 tons.

By the time the ship was launched in 1858, the 52 year old Brunel was very ill and had already suffered a stroke which had ended his working life. A disaster during the ships trials when a boiler exploded killing five workers was not told to Brunel who lay paralysed in his bed until five days after its occurrence. The news killed the Little Giant. The ship was dogged by misfortune. By May 1860, after further adventures that included being driven ashore in a gale, "The Great Eastern" was ready for her maiden voyage to the United States. Designed for the much longer Britain to Australia run the ship was to prove entirely uneconomical on the shorter Atlantic route. The great ship actually left Southampton on June 16th, 1860. There were 418 crew on board but only 35 paying passengers one of whom, was carrying an English fighting cock and three hens in wicker cages to a chicken fighter in California. On June 28th the ship docked successfully completing her maiden voyage. Never filled to capacity and losing money hand over fist, the vessel was sold from company to company and in 1857 was chartered by a French syndicate to bring American visitors to the Paris World Exhibition. She attracted only 191 passengers but one of them was Jules Verne who later wrote a book about her called "A Floating City".

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